Design classics: Yuji Sakuma of Huge

From lamps and books to classic cars and furniture: find out why these items are art director Yuji Sakuma's top sources of inspiration.

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Inspiration is everywhere. Emotion, life, art, music, the list of what can influence the creative mind is endless. Fascinated by what really makes designers tick, we're starting this new, weekly ‘design classics’ feature, in which creatives reveal the items that inspire them the most.

Yuji Sakuma

Yuji Sakuma

Kicking us off this week is Yuji Sakuma, art director at the London offices of global digital agency Huge. Yuji works closely with interaction designers and is responsible for crafting the look and feel on various projects.

While at Huge, Yuji has worked on projects ranging from The Museum of Modern Art, IKEA, Target, Landmark Group, Reuters and BBC. Prior to working at Huge, Yuji was a print designer at multi-disciplinary design firm TODA in New York.

A History of the World in 100 Objects

"This is one of the most fascinating books that I've read in a long time. As the title suggests, this book (based on the BBC Radio 4 programme) takes a look at the past two million years and identifies objects designed and created by humans and our ancestors, which have shaped the course of history.

"It's an amazing look into how we have evolved as a species and how the things we create play an integral role in society."

Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor's book explores world history from two million years ago to the present

Another Country Stool One

"We just purchased a few of these beautiful stools for our Huge London office: such a clean and stunning design. I love objects that are so basic that they seem to tap into a childlike purity in the way that they’re designed. This stool captures that sense of imagination and simplicity."

The simple, three-legged stool was created by contemporary oak furniture company Another Country

Muji hard shell suitcase

"A highly functional piece of luggage is something that's much harder to find that one would imagine! Muji does an amazing job of ensuring a product fulfils its purpose 100% and this is a perfect example of that. It's also incredibly beautiful."

Although Muji of Japan is better known for its basics and stationery, the maker of all things simple and utilitarian also produces this durable hard shell suitcase

Isamu Noguchi Akari lamp

"Objects that are decorative don't always have to be over-designed. Isamu Noguchi has always done an enviable job of marrying form and function to create something original, thoughtful and focused; something that can't be said for many similar designs of the era."

Akari Light Sculptures by Isamu Noguchi are considered icons of 1950s modern design

Volvo P1800 ES

"I love cars for their combination of practicality and style, but this Volvo is probably the first car I ever fell in love with. It's super functional, simple, and yet completely distinct. Modern day cars owe a lot to the thoughtfulness of this Swedish design."